Gummed tape moistening, ejecting, and severing device



April 23, 1935. c REED EEAL 1,998,736

GUMMED TAPE MOISTENING, EJECTING, AND SEVERING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1932 4 as as 43 6 CHARLES F. REED WILLIAM C. IMHOFF A ril 23, 1935. c. F. REED El AL.

GUMMED TAPE MOISTENING, EJECTING, AND SEVERING DEVICE 0 Filed Sept. 14, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 aa I2 1 5s s2 5s v a 1 63 FIG. 5 57/ 5 :o I

2 7 6G 43 so 89 82 4 45 6 64 v 3W" o o CHARLES E REED WILLIAMC. IMHOFF April 23, c F REED r 11,998,736

GUMMED TAPE MOISTENING; EJECTING, AND SEVERING DEVICE Filed Sept. 14, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet s FIG. 7

llll lllllllllllllllll'llll vvillhl II [J gvvuewtozfi 2 CHARLES E. REED 0' WILLIAM C. IMHOFF a s aw o M (02 new Patented Apr. 23, 1935 PATENT OFFICE GUMMED TAPE MOISTENING, EJEGTING, AND SEVERING DEVICE 7 Charles F. Reed and William 0. lmhoff, Indianapolis, Ind.; said Imhoff assignor to said Reed- Application September 14, 1932, Serial No. 633,043

10 Claims.

This invention relates to means used in applying commercial gummed tape topaper wrapped packages, envelopes, etc., and more especially to means for portably retaining gummed tape .in conventional rolls, withdrawing the tape from the roll as used in different length pieces as required, automatically moistening and ejecting same, and automatically cutting of the pieces the desired lengths.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable device of this class in which the tape,

the tape containing and ejecting mechanism, to-

gether with moistening and cutting oif instrumentalities are carried about as a unit over different parts of the package being thus sealed with the tape, or carried from one package to 'the other as the circumstances may require.

It is a primary object to provide a device of this class which is entirely supported, moved about and operated at will by one hand, the other hand of the operator being free to handle the package being sealed, and to finally guide and place the ejected piece of tape on the package.

It is also an object to associate the parts of the mechanism in groups, .each group being independently assembled into a unit of properly related elements, ready to be finally assembled with other unitary groups into a complete device.

It is a further object to provide a supporting frame for the different parts of the device, in the form of a portable enclosure, said closure comprising an upper section and a lower section hinged thereto, the upper section serving to swing certain parts of the ejecting elements from other elements, giving ready access to the interior of the device in reloading and rethreading with tape.

It is also an object to provide a wick which serves to apply moisture to the gummed side of the tape, a water container serving to feed said wick, and a means to mechanically force water from the container through the wick, automatically and concurrently with the ejecting movements of the device.

It is also an object to provide means for threading and directing the tape from the roll in a substantially straight line from the ejecting mechanism, through the cutting instrumentalities and thence along the moistening wick, and in a continued straight line from the device in the form of severed, fiat and moistened strips. I

It is also an object to provide a roll containing compartment for the tape, which is adjustable as to width capacity, in adapting the device to gummed tape of different widths.

The above and other objects are conveniently attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the difierent views, of which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken in the proximity of a line indicated by ll of Fig. 2

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken in the proximity of line 22, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the proximity of line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an' enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the proximity of line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and is somewhat diagrammatic;

Fig. 6 is a, detailed sectional view taken in the proximity of line 6-6 of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 'l is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the device in open position, for supplying same with tape and threading the tape through the ejecting rollers, the guides and severing mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a detailed view of one of the principal tape severing parts; and p Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the tape moistening. wick.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different views. Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral"! designates the upper casing section, and numeral 2 designates the lower casing section, which is normally telescoped within said upper casing portion. Said casing portions being hinged together by the hinge pin 3, Fig. 8, at the forward end of the device, the two casing sections being .adapted to be swung apart on said hinge pins, as indicated best in Fig. 8.

, It will be obvious that Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 are seen rrom the same point of view, the device being similarly arranged in these two views, which are both sectional views, but taken upon different lines as indicated in Fig. 2. It is thought that the device should first be understood-by considering Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3, together.

In preparing the device for operation, a roll of tape, 4, is placed in the half-cylindrical receptacle 5, the axial center of which is substantially parallel to the hinge pins 3. Said roll is placed in tangential relation to the interior cylindrical surface of saidreceptacle. One of the cylindrical edges 6, of said receptacle is disposed nearer the ejecting or forward end of the device, and said receptacle, as a whole, is supported in the lower casing section in the end thereof, remote from the hinge pins 3. s

The tape roll 4, is placed in the receptacle 5, so that the outer end of the tape may be extended as an unwinding strand 1, from the under side of said roll over the receptacle edge 6, to between the upper tape ejecting roller 8, and the lower tape ejecting roller 9, and substantially in a horizontal plane therefrom over the guide plate in, to which it is closely confined by the fiat-like guide H. Said guide is spaced a sufiicient distance above said guide plate to allow free threading of the tape strand therebetween. The tape strand is threaded thence in the same plane over the cutting bar l2, over the exposed end of the wick 33, under the final guide I4, and from between the upper and lower casing sections, to exposed position outwardly from the device as a whole, a clearance opening i5, being provided between said casing sections, and between the hinge pins 3, to permit the paying out of the tape. I

The tape is drawn from the roll 4, and ejected from the device by rotation of the upper roller 8, which is thus actuated by pushing downwardly and forwardly on the toothed rack bar It, the exposed end thereof being provided with the push button it, for so doing. Said rack bar extendsfrom within the rearward portion of the lower casing section, rearwardly and upwardly through the more rearward wall structure of .the upper casing section. Tape ejecting movement is first imparted from said rack bar to the gear l8, which meshes with the teeth l9, thereof.

' The axial center of said gear is substantially parallel to that of the receptacle The numeral 253, denotes a somewhat larger gear mounted for independent rotation, but co-axially with the gear 18. Between said gears the ratchet wheel 2!, is concentrically secured to the gear 20, the teeth of said ratchet wheel being pointed contradirectional with the ejecting movement of said gears. Between said ratchet wheel and the gear It, the radially extending arm 22 is secured to said gear. The toggle type pawl lever, 23, is pivoted to said arm by the pivot pin 24, at a point radially beyond said ratchetwheel, the pawl 25, thereof being in position to engage the teeth of said ratchet gear, as best shown in Fig. 4; One end of the contraction spring 26, engages said pawl lever on the opposite side of said pivot pin from said pawl. The other end of said spring is conveniently engaged over the pin 21, of the arm 22, at a point farther out from said ratchet wheel than the pivot pin 24, and said spring being thus tensioned serves to constantly urge the pawl 25, into engagement with said ratchet wheel. It will therefore be understood that when the gear is, is rotated by the downward or tape ejecting movement of the rack bar 16, the arm 22, is correspondingly swung with said gear which rotates the gear 29, through the pawl 25, and said ratchet wheel, in the direction indicated by the arrow, 28.

The gear 29, meshes with an intermediate gear 29, which in turn meshes with the gear 30, which is concentrically and integrally united with one end of the upper tape roller 8. It will thus be understood that in pushing the rack bar It, downward, tape ejecting movement is imparted in sequence to said upper tape roller, by gear !8, the arm 22, the pawl 25, the ratchet wheel 2!, the gear 26, the gear 29, and the gear 30.

The rearward wall of the upper casing section I,

i is provided with an exterior hand grip 3|, located in a vertical plane which may be considered as passing dividingly through the device as a whole. In using the device, said handle is gripped by the fingers, the thumb bearing on the push button IE, and the rack bar [6, being disposed on the thumb side of said handle for the purpose of convenient operation.

The gears I8, 20, 29 and 30, are mounted by shafting 3|, 32, and 33, in order as stated, the

gears I8 and 26 being mounted on the same shafting. The ends of said shafting are secured through the normally vertical walls 34 and 35, of the independent frame 35, which is secured within the upper casing section i, by the screws 37, to the thumb side thereof for associating the gear l8, with the rack bar 16, by which arrangement said gears, the upper roller 8, and the frame 135, are assembled as a manufactured unit ready to install in said upper casing section. The

guide 38, for the rack bar 16, is also unitarily embodied with said frame, and the said rack bar is assembled thereinto complete said unit, the width of said frame being increased in the region of said upper roller whereby the frame side walls 34 and 35, together, straddle said roller and the gear 30, for journaling same .on the shafting .33.

The contraction coil spring 39, is tensioned along said guide between the overhanging ear 40, of said rack bar, and the spring connection 4|, which is embodied with the upward and rear-. ward termination of said guide. The spring 38, thus serves to return said rack bar, longitudinally to normal position with the gear !8 and arm 22 ready to repeat the tape ejecting movement described above.

The lower tape roller 3, is pivoted to the two oscillatable arms 42, which together straddle said roller. Said arms extend rearwardly and somewhat downwardly to pivotal connections 43, which are secured to the floor 44, of the lower casing section I. The arms 42, being flexibly united with said connections, serve to swing the said lower roller thereupon into juxtaposition with the upper roller 8, and thus confine the tape strand '1, therebetween. The roller pivoting ends of said arms are united by the yoke 45, which passes under the thus pivoted lower roller, and the free end of the substantially horizontal flat spring 46, being tensioned upwardly against said yoke, serves to constantly urge said lower roller upwardly against the tape, the other end of said spring being secured to said lower casing section.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the tape strand 7, is held toward the upper tape roller by the lower tape roller, to maintain traction between the tape strand and said upper roller for withdrawing tape from the roll 4, and ejecting same.

The means for severing the ejected tape in determined lengths comprises a knife 47. Said knife is conveniently cut from a piece of cylindrical tool steel. The ends of said piece of steel are left intact and serve to mount trunnion formations which are journaled in the normally vertical walls 48 and 49, of said lower casing section. Between its ends, the normally lower portion of said piece of steel is cut away, as indicated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, to form the cutting edge 258. Said knife is positioned directly over the tape strand 1, and in rearward juxtaposition with the cutting bar l2, so that when the knife is rotated as journaled in the walls 48 and 49, in the direction indicated by the arrow 5!, of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the cutting edge 50, of the knife travels downwardly and shearingly past said cutting bar, serving to thus shear the ejected portion 52, of the tape from the strand.

The knife trunnion on the thumb or gear side of the device overhangs the wall 48, and is integrally provided with a lever arm 53, which normally extends downwardly and somewhat forwardly therefrom. The lower end of said lever arm is pivoted to a rearwardly extending drag link 54. The rearward end of said drag link is provided with a horizontal slot 55, which engages the overhanging pin 56, of the bell crank 51. Said bell crank is pivoted to the vertical wall structure 48 of the lower casing section 2 at a point 59, rearwardly and downwardly from said overhanging pin. Said bell crank extends rearwardly and upwardly from said point, into the path of the extended free end of the arm, 22.

'The contraction coil spring 60 is constantly tensioned between the spring connection 6|, of the drag link 54, and a loop connection to the respective end of the cutting bar I2, by which arrangement said spring serves to keep the knife 41, rotated by said drag link and the lever arm 53 into the position indicated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5. Rotation of said knife by said spring is limited by the stop 58, which is formed on the wall 48 into the path of the lever arm 53 which strikes said stop and serves to restrict the return movement of the knife and stop the cutting edge thereof in position ready to operate again in conjunction with the cutting bar, i2.

The overhanging pin 56 of the bell crank 5'! is normally disposed in the rearward end of the slot 55 of the drag link 54 and when the arm 22 is swung by the gear IS in tape ejecting movement, said arm strikes the rearward end of the bell crank 51, rotating same upon the point 59, and accordingly, shifting the overhanging pin 56 toward the forward end of the slot 55. When the arm 22 is, however, returned to normal position with the gear I8, and'after a portion of tape 52 has been ejected, said arm strikes the rearward end of said bell crank downwardly and rotates same in the opposite direction, drawing the overhanging pin 56 against the rearward end of the slot 55, and thus rotating the knife '41 through said drag link and the lever arm 53, causing said knife to shear off said ejected portion of the tape against the cutting bar l2, the length of the ejected tape portion depending upon the length of travel imparted to the rack bar l6.

As before indicated, the tape strand passes from over the cutting bar l2 under the final guide I4, and over the tape 'moistening wick [3, the gummed side of the tape strand being downward, and in contact with said wick. Said wick extends downwardly and rearwardly at an angle from the tape strand, the tape contacting portion .of the wick being parallel with the trend of thetape, to give a comparatively wide area of wick contact with the tape. The extreme forward edge of said wick is feathered down to a comparatively thin edge. Said wick extends from the tape into the rectangular mouth 63, of the water reservoir, 64. Said reservoir is preferably rectangular in cross section and forms a somewhat elongated slender wick fitting and water reservoir. As stated above, the wick l3, extends downwardly and rearwardly from the tape strand 1, and the reservoir, naturally, extends from the tape in the same direction. In order, however, to lend compactness to the device as a whole, said reservoir 64, extends only in this direction for a distance, the closed end thereof extending less downwardly and more rearwardly. Said water receptacle is supported on a correspondingly shaped frame 65, which is co-hinged with the upper and lower casing portions and serves not only to retain said receptacle against the floor 44, of the lower casing section, but also as a door which normally covers the opening in said upper casing section from below and thus encloses the lower I casing section therein. Said reservoir is located between the floor 44, and

frame 65, by means of the lug 66, formed on said frame adjacent the closed end of said reservoir.

Referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that from the co-hinged relation of the upper and lower casing sections, and the door forming frame 65, that these may be swung apart at will for refilling the device with tape or water, the upper tape ejecting roller being thus carried by the upper casing section and being thus separated from the lower roller which is carried by the lower casing section for rethreading tape therebetween and accessibility being also given to the successive tape guide H, guide plate l0, knife 41; etc.; and that the Water reservoir 64 may be readily removed from the frame 65, for refilling and resupplying water, the removable filler cap means 61, being embodied with said reservoir for the admittance of water.

To hold the device firmly together when closed up, a spring latch '68, is carried interiorly by the rearward wall of the upper casing section, and is adapted to engage the extreme rearward edge of the section 2, when said upper casing section is swung into normal working position as indicated in Fig. l and Figs. 2 and 3. Without opening the frame 65, the upper and lower casing sections may be separated and rested in balanced position on the normally forward end of the up: per casing section and the corner 69, of said frame. Stops l0 and H, are provided in the upper and lower casing sections, respectively, said stops being arranged to contact when said sections are opened a suitable distance.

The exposed end of the rack bar guide 38, is provided with a cap 12, which cap embodies a housing 13, for the more remote portion of the spring 39. A stop collar i l, conveniently surrounds the rack bar [6, exteriorly of the device as a whole. Said collar strikes the cap 12, at the end of the ejecting movement of said rack bar and thus restricts the thrust of same to limit the length of tape ejected by a single ejecting operation of device. Said collar is secured in said place by the removable pin 15, which engages a corresponding hole in said rack bar. A series 16, of such holes are distributed throughout the normally exposed end length of said rack bar for securing the collar 13, at diiferent points thereon, although it will be understood that the thumb of the operator is used to limit the return movement of said rack bar and thus determine the length of the ejected tape as desired.

In order to accelerate the movement of water to the wick, a cam 11, is axially secured to the gear attached end of the arm 22, and the free end of the cam lever 18, rides thereagainst. Said cam lever extends downwardly from said cam and is pivoted to the wall 34, by the pivot pin 79. The arm 80, extends forwardly from the lower end of said cam lever, and forms a bell crank lever therewith. The spacer 8!, is disposed between the free end of the arm 80, and the water reservoir 64, through a considerable vacancy in the floor 44, by which arrangement will be obvious that rotation of said cam by the arm 22, in the tape ejecting movement thereof will oscillate said cam lever and spring the upper wall of said water reservoir through the arm 85, and spacer 8i, and thus compress the air within the reservoir and urge the water in same through the wick IS. The cam 11, is po-' sitioned so that the relatively low side thereof contacts the cam lever 18, when the arm 22, is in normal position, by which arrangement said arm, in tape ejecting movement, will bring high:-

er "points of said cam into contact with said cam lever and thus bring about the water acceleration through the wick during the ejecting operation :of the device.

'Saidspacer is secured to said floor by the spring 82, which holds said spacer in approximate working position :but yields sufficiently to allow 'free operation of same. When, however, the upper and lower casing sections -are in .opened'position as indicated in Fig. 8, said cam lever and arm 80, are thus carried free of contact withzthe spacer 8|, thus el minating any interference with the reservoir during the reloading of the .device with tape-orwater. v

A bridge 83, spans the upper edges of the vertical walls 48 and 49, of the lower casing section, over the knife ll. Downwardly and rearwardly extending wings 34, of said bridge provide a pivot joint to which the rear end of the guide plate is is hinged, a contraction coil spring being conveniently tensioned between said bridge and said guide plate, serving to draw same in upwardly swung position by which the tape strand '1 is thus held snugly against the guide I i, which is secured to said bridge. When, however, said knife is rotatingly operated as described above, the spring 35 yields to the pressure of the portion of the knife adjacent the cutting edge 58 thereof, against the forward edge of said guide plate permitting same to swingdownwardly in making way for the operation of said knife. The final tape guide 14 is also secured to said bridge at the forward edge thereof.

The ends of the cutting bar are slidably dis posed through the walis 48 and d9, of the lower casing section, so as to provide for limited forward and rearward lateral shifting thereof, the contraction coil spring to being tensioned rearwardly from one end thereof, and the spring 85 being similarly looped to the other end thereof and tensioned between said other end, and a spring connection on the section wall 43 rearwardly of said cutting bar, by which arrangement said cutting bar is automatically held in shearing contact with said knife, the cylindrical ends of the knife 4?, which are left intact forming check portions for the knife upon which the knife trunnions are formed, are concentrical'with the rotating axis of the knife, and the cutting path of the knife coincides with the cylindrical surfaces of said check portions, and it will be understood that the bar is held against said surfaces by the springs 6i! and 86 as well as against the cutting edge of the knife, by which arrangement said surfaces prevent the excessive bearing of the cutting bar 12 against said cutting edge, and also prevent the drawing of said bar beyond the path of said edge, by said springs, when-said edge is in withdrawn position from said bar.

To provide for adapting the effective width of the tape receptacle 5, to rolls of different width tape, the cylindrical wall portion of said receptacle is comprised of arcuate strips extending fore-and-aft thereof. The partition 87 is inserted as a spacer between any two of said strips in locating said partition laterally to different positions in the receptacle in accordance with the space required to confine tape rolls of different widths. The ends of said strips are bent outwardly over the forward and rearward edges of said receptacle and thence downwardly and being thus disposed in temporary clinched relation to said receptacle are retained thus although capable of being manually withdrawn therefrom in shifting same for repositioning said partition as desired. I a r Referring to Fig. 9, it will be obvious that the cutting edge 50, of the knife 41, runs at an angle throughout its length by which slanting 'characs te'ristic said knife is adapted to cut the tape in a true shearing coordination with the cutting bar The wick 13, at the tape contacting'end thereof is preferably constructed of a single piece of felt of suitable size and shape to fill the mouth '63,.of the reservoir .54. At a distance from said mouth, however, within said reservoir, said piece of felt is provided with a horizontal groove 88,.acrossits extreme interior terminating face, and the cloth covered screen .89, is secured within said groove. Said screen extends and conforms inshape to the remainder of the reservoir throughout its length. Said screen is covered with the cloth covering 98, and is spaced from the wall structure of the reservoir except the lowerjwall structure of the more horizontal portion of the reservoir, where said cloth rests, By this arrangement, a uniform amount of water is absorbed through said cioth to said felt during the operation of the device and until said reservoir is entirely empty of water.

It will be understood that the return stroke of the rack bar i8, may be cut short by the operator at will, thus accumulating a single piece of ejected tape of any length by repeating a required number of thus shortened strokes. When the ejected tape has reached the required length the operator then permits a complete return stroke of said rack bar which causes the piece to besevered by the knife 47, as described above.

A latch similar to latch '68 is secured to the rearward transversewall of the lower section 2,

and serves to engage under the extreme rearward edge of the frame 65 when in closed position.

When desired, the device is used to simultaneously eject and sever two tape strips from two parallel strands threaded side by side in the same manner as strand a, from two tape rolls also deposited side by side in the receptacle 5. In thus using the device to moisten, eject and sever a plurality of tape strips at the same operation, the partition 81' is disposed in a more medial position in said receptacle, being thus relocated in the same manner as described by adapting said receptacle for different width tape rolls, in dividing the receptacle into more than one working compartment.

As shown in Fig. 10, the working face of the wick I3 is slitted as indicated by the numeral 92. These slits are provided to enable the different portions 930i the wick between the slits to make independent and correct contact with the tape strand without regard to inaccuracies in positions of the other portions, and the wick being of tapered or feathered character due to the angular working face thereof, each portion 93 wields readily incontact with the tape strand.

The exposed surface of the frame 65 is provided with a preferably felt coating 94,, which provides a soft unmarring surface upon which the device may be rested upon one-cf several packages to which tape is being applied, the said felt coating preventing injury to the packages by contact therewith.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be understood that the advancing face portion of the knife ll, in the cutting movement, is oblique to the opposite side of the knife at the cutting edge 50, by which feature the two said knife faces form a cutting corner of less than ninety degrees, thus providing a comparatively sharp cutting edge.

While the description and drawings illustrate in a general way certain instrumentalities which may be employed in carrying the invention into effect, it is evident that many modifications may be made in the various details without departing from the scope of the appended claims, it being understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular examples herein described.

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape ejecting mechanism having means to eject tape from a roll at certain periods of operation, means to sever the tape in desired lengths at other periods of operation, a wick against which said tape passes, said wick serving to thus moisten the tape as it is ejected, a fluid reservoir serving to feed said wick with moisture, and means serving to automatically force moisture from said fluid into said wick during the ejecting periods of the mechanism.

2. A moisture supplying wick comprising a wick proper and a cloth covered skeleton attached to said wick and forming a working continuation of said wick proper.

3. In conjunction with a wick and fluid receptacle, a fluid container having a wick exposing mouth, a wick disposed therein, a metal skeleton frame extending from said wick into the lower portion of said container, and a cloth covering surrounding said frame serving to convey the fluid in said container to said wick.

l. In a tape moistening device, a casing serving to enclose the working parts of said device, a

removable wick and moisture container, and a hinged frame serving to secure said container in working position, said frame serving as a closure for said casing.

5. A shearing mechanism having a relatively stationary shearing member, a shearing means serving to move its cutting edge at right angles to a given line from normal position past said shearing member in shearing relation thereto, a yieldable guide means serving in normal position to support a strip of material to be sheared, coordinately with said shearing member, said guide means extending into the cutting path of said shearing means and serving to yield to pressure from same and return automatically to normal position when said shearing means is returned to normal position.

6. A tape ejecting device comprising an upper casing section, a lower casing hinged to said upper casing section, and serving to be swung into closed and open relation therewith, a tape ejecting roller pivoted within said upper section, a driving means serving to drive said roller, said driving means being also pivoted within said upper section, another tape roller mating with the first tape roller when said sections are in closed position, said other tape roller being pivoted to said lower section, a tape roll receptacle secured to said lower section from which. tape is fed to between said rollers, tape guiding, cutting and moistening means, successively embodied with said lower section; whereby said sections are manually swung apart for reloading the device with tape and rethreading same between said rollers to said guiding, cutting and moistening means, and a tape moistening means co-hinged with said sections, and serving to be swung therefrom for access to same when required during the operation of the device.

7. A strip severing mechanism comprising a cutting knife, a means serving to swing said knife laterally upon an axis, a cutting bar shiftable laterally, yieldable 'means serving to hold said cutting bar in shearing contact with the cutting edge of said knife and stop means to prevent over bearing of said bar against said edge, by said yieldable means, said stop means consisting of shoulders secured to the ends of said knife, said shoulders having cylindrical portions concentric with the axis upon which said knife is swung, against which said cutting bar is held by said yieldable means.

8. A flat strip severing mechanism comprising a cuttingbar, a rotating knife having a cutting edge which cuts when the edge region of said knife is moved laterally about its axis, said cutting edge being at an angle to said axis, a pivot means on each end of said knife upon which said cutting edge is swung about said axis laterally in shearing action against said bar, and a strip guide over which the strip is fed to said knife one end of said guide being pivoted about a line parallel to the axis of said knife and remotely therefrom; said guide serving to guide the strip under said knife and over said bar, when in normal position, and

said knife is withdrawn, said guide yielding on its pivot from the tape guiding position by pressure of the knife at the finish of the cutting stroke, and a yieldable means serving to normally hold said guide in tape guiding position.

9. A tape ejecting device comprising an upper casing section, a lower casing hinged to said upper casting section, and serving to be swung into closed and open relation therewith, a tape ejecting roller pivoted within said upper section, a driving means serving to drive said roller, said driving means being also pivoted within said upper section, another tape roller mating with the first tape roller when said sections are in closed position, said other tape roller being pivoted to said lower section, a tape roll receptacle secured to said lower section from which tape is fed to between said rollers, tape guiding, cutting and moistening means, successively embodied with said lower section; whereby said sections are manually swung apart for reloading the device with tape and rethreading same between said rollers to said guiding, cutting and moistening means, a tape moistening means co-hinged with said sections, and serving to be swung therefrom for access to same when required during the operation of the device, means serving to lock and unlock said tape moistening means from said lower casing independently of said upper casing, and means to lock and. unlock said upper casing from said lower casing independently of said tape moistenmg means.

10. A tape ejecting mechanism having means to eject tape from a roll at certain periods of operation, means to sever the tape in desired lengths at other periods of operation, a wick against which said tape passes, said wick serving to thus moisten the tape as it is ejected, a fluid reservoir serving to feed said wick with moisture, means serving to automatically force moisture from said fluid into said wick during the ejecting periods of the mechanism, said means to force moisture consisting of a manually operatable rack means, a gear driven by same, a cam driven axially with said gear and a lever operated by said cam said lever acting to spring the wall structure of said reservoir in forcing moisture from same.

CHARLES F. REED. WILLIAM C. IMHOFF. 

